The present invention relates to shelving systems and, more particular, to apparatus for supporting and segregating binders and other materials within existing file cabinets.
File cabinets and similar storage devices are typically formed as 3-sided enclosures into which materials to be filed are placed. Frequently, the materials being filed, such as ring binders, have sides that vary in direction in accordance with the volume of documents within the binder. When a plurality of such ring binders are disposed adjacent each other, the result is that the binders become twisted and askew causing difficulty in withdrawing the binders and maintaining proper alignment within the file cabinet.
Additional problems result where the materials being filed, such as folders or magazines, do not have sufficient rigidity to maintain their vertical orientation without the support of adjacent materials. As the adjacent materials are withdrawn, the lighter files will simply lean over and fall, detracting from the appearance and utility of the filing system.
A variety of devices have heretofore been proposed for segregating and supporting filed materials. Various types of self-supporting racks having fixed or adjustable dividers are available for desktop use. Additionally, filing cabinets have been proposed which incorporate slots on the base of each shelf and rear of the cabinet. Dividers may be variably located within the shelves to support and segregate files. Though such shelving systems are useful to segregate and support various size files, they suffer from limitations due to cost and flexibility of use. Filing cabinets incorporating such slots for receiving dividers are substantially more expensive than plain filing cabinets without such slots. Additionally, because the rear slots are in fixed locations, the shelf heights must remain fixed and cannot be varied without sacrificing the ability to segregate and support the files.
The present invention provides an inexpensive and self-supporting system for segregating and supporting various materials such as ring binders and lightweight documents. The present invention provides the functionality of contemporary slotted cabinets to unslotted cabinets, and additionally retains that functionality despite any variation in shelf height.